ps: Many thanks to book friend "m 一" for the 10,000-coin reward, which is currently on 8/20.
The following text
The 500,000 and 900,000 among Zhao Hongrun, Huang Xu, Xiong Tuo and others refer to the amount in silver taels.
Don't think that this amount is not large, but in fact, as long as you change the way of interpretation, you can reflect the huge amount of money: 50 million taels and 90 million taels.
Regardless of the Chu State or the Wei State, silver has not yet replaced copper coins as the main currency in circulation. In fact, in many countries, the currency in domestic private circulation is still copper coins.
Ignoring other countries for the moment, let’s talk about Wei first.
The main currency in circulation in the Wei State was called Wan Qian, which was a round copper coin with a small original hole in the center for easy threading with a rope.
The unit of the round coin is two and a baht, and the main coins circulating in the Wei State are divided into one tael and half a tael. There are still six baht coins in remote areas, but the earliest three baht coins have long been eliminated. Note: Millet
, which is almost the weight of a grain of millet (later called yellow rice). Ten millet is a bamboo, ten bamboo is a baht, twenty-four baht is liang, sixteen liang is a catty, thirty catties is a jun, and four jun is a stone.
This is an ancient weight unit conversion.
Let’s talk about one liang of money first. It and half liang of money are the main currencies in circulation in Daliang and other places in the capital of Wei State.
Its purchasing power, for example, is that a commoner in Wei State walks into a very ordinary tavern and orders a bottle of the most ordinary wine for 20 taels, and then orders a plate of vegetarian dishes to go with the wine, 1 taels of money. If he orders a plate of meat,
About two to three taels.
In other words, five taels of money can allow a Wei man to eat and drink in an ordinary tavern in Daliang.
Let’s talk about half a tael of copper coins. Its purchasing power is reflected in this. For example, if the Wei man was preparing to go home after having a full meal, he suddenly remembered that his wife and children at home had not eaten yet, so he stopped at the roadside shop.
I bought a few steamed buns. For two and a half taels each, you can probably buy a steamed bun with meat fillings. If it is without fillings, it is even cheaper.
These two metaphors are just that prices in Daliang and other remote places in Wei are relatively lower.
What is mentioned above is the purchasing power of one tael of copper coins and half a tael of copper coins. One tael of copper coins is not the same as one tael of silver.
In Wei State, silver can also be called a precious metal, but it is not circulated among the people. To be precise, it is rarely circulated in the hands of ordinary people. Those places with high consumption will still accept it.
Precisely because of its inconvenient circulation, silver cannot be called currency, but can only be called precious goods, just like pearls, jade, and agate.
The conversion between it and the main currency of Wei, that is, one tael of silver, is probably in the range of eighty, ninety to one hundred and ten. However, under normal circumstances, one tael of silver can only be exchanged for at most eighty one tael of copper coins. After all, silver will eventually
It is not as valuable as pearls and other objects. If it cannot be used as currency, its value cannot be reflected. Note: Don't be confused with the concept that one tael of silver is equal to one thousand penny. The unit of Brother Kong Fang is "wen" instead of "liang".
Converted, the value of one Wen Kong Fang brother is only equivalent to 2.5 yuan.
Let’s talk about the concept of fifty million dollars.
The population of the Wei people in the entire Wei State is about 4 million to 6 million. Based on an average of seven people per household, it is about 600,000 to 900,000 households.
For example, after excluding Wei's tenth field tax and only calculating the household tax, assuming that none of the people in Wei have land, the household tax is calculated based on the household tax of twenty taels per household per month. Excluding the non-exit household tax and willingness to pay
The possibility of performing corvee work is calculated by taking the average of 600,000 households and 900,000 households. From 750,000 households, the Dawei Household Department can collect 18,000 taels of money each year, which is 180 million.
Two qian, how much is it equivalent to silver taels? 1.8 million.
Of course, this is just an estimate, and the majority of the tax paid by the Wei household department does not come from the household tax of the common people, but the field tax, as well as the taxes paid by the nobles, aristocratic families, and wealthy families, the amount is far more than this amount
.
But one thing needs to be pointed out, that is, the 500,000 that Huang Er proposed to Zhao Hongrun was not 500,000 taels of silver, but pearls, jade, lacquerware, and bronzes worth 500,000 taels of silver.
The Chu State was very cheap, especially pearls, lacquerware and bronze wares, which were worth almost nothing in the Chu State, but once they were shipped to the Wei State, their value would be at least four to five times.
If the city ransom of 900,000 yuan is also negotiated, I believe that the value of this 1.4 million yuan will far exceed the Wei State's annual household tax revenue.
That's it, not counting the property that Zhao Hongrun collected from the Peng family, the Lu family, and other five big clans. Those things are not like the cheap pearls, lacquerware, and copperware that the Chu State delivered to the Wei State.
It is even more precious, and it will not be a problem for its value to increase six to seven times when shipped to Wei State.
"Nine hundred thousand..." Huang Er took a long breath.
Nine hundred thousand dollars for eighteen cities is not a loss to be honest. After all, how long does it take to build a city? Two or three years is a very common thing. As for the cost, it is far more than nine hundred thousand taels of silver, that is, nine hundred thousand taels of silver.
It’s worth tens of millions of dollars.
But it is undeniable that the number of 900,000 is not small for the Chu State. I would like to ask, those big clans of the Chu State who are known as Yinfu, and their wealth accumulated for decades or even hundreds of years, do they have 900,000?
Let’s talk about both for now.
But the problem is, Zhao Hongrun is so determined by the price, there is really nothing Huang As can do.
Could it be that he really watched His Highness Prince Su of Wei set fire to those eighteen cities?
Huang Xu has no doubt that the other party can do it.
After all, in his opinion, the impulsiveness of His Highness King Su of the State of Wei was no less than that of Xiong Tuo, the Lord of Yangcheng. It was obvious from the fact that he had just said that he wanted to kill Xiong Tuo as the negotiating envoy. No one could guarantee that Xiong Tuo would be killed again at that time.
A few exciting sentences, will this young man really take action?
And once Zhao Hongrun sets fire to those eighteen cities, it will be fatal, because it means that in the next two or three years, or even within four or five years, the territory under the rule of Yangcheng Lord Xiong Tuo will be insignificant to the Wei State.
Fortified, the Wei people can come and leave when they want, while Chu State can only stare.
But this amount...
Huang Er thought for a while, then raised his hands and said to Zhao Hongrun: "I, the great Chu, are willing to redeem those cities, but Shangcai can't be regarded as my great Chu's city, right?"
Got spotted...
Zhao Hongrun muttered in his heart without any embarrassment.
Obviously, he was fooling around and counted Shangcai as a city of Chu State, and only paid a ransom of 50,000 taels for that city.
At this time, Huang Zu said again: "For the other seventeen cities, Huang thinks that 900,000 taels is too high and is not as good as every city. I, the great Chu, paid Mr. Run 20,000 taels and attacked with 340,000 taels. How about that?"
?”
Zhao Hongrun shook his head when he heard this, and said calmly: "The price is clearly stated. There will be no negotiation... By the way, what I just said was just a package price. If your country plans to redeem it individually, a city will cost 150,000 yuan."
!”
Zhao Hongrun calculated very clearly in his mind. After excluding Shangcai and less important cities such as Peng and Lu, there were still eight cities that were county towns of the Chu State. The Chu State would not give up easily. Therefore, this calculation could still guarantee that nine
The bottom line of ransom is 100,000.
"you……"
Xiong Tuo pointed at Zhao Hongrun and was so angry that he was speechless.
It was obviously the city of their Chu State, but they were asked to spend money to redeem it, and the ransom was such a high amount. No wonder he was angry.
He was angry in his heart: I, Xiong Tuo, guard this piece of ruined land. The tax revenue I receive every year is less than 20% to 30% of what this guy redeemed and sold the city.
At this moment, Xiong Tuo, Lord of Yangcheng, seemed eager to switch positions with Zhao Hongrun.
"No money?" Zhao Hongrun glanced at Xiong Tuo and said calmly: "If I don't have money, I'll redeem two less. Well, let's do this. Excluding Runan and Shangcai, the remaining seven counties will give you 400,000. How about that?"
Eliminate Runan?
Xiong Tuo was shocked when he heard this. He didn't bother to argue with Zhao Hongrun. You must know that Runan is the northern barrier of the Chu State, and its strategic significance is equivalent to the Fenxing Fortress of the Wei State. If Yan Mo hadn't defrauded the city this time, The Wei army simply could not capture this city in a short period of time.
"What do you want to do?" Xiong Tuo asked nervously.
"What else can I do? Since you don't have the money to redeem it and I can't take it away, then all I have to do is burn it." Zhao Hongrun said lightly.
Indeed, Zhao Hongrun did not have the guts to really add Runan to the territory of Wei, but he could burn the city with a fire. I believe this would be enough for Chu to drink a pot, because this is like a Chu people. The Fenxing fortress of Wei State was burned down.
"Two plans: One, your country will pay another 900,000, and I will return you eight county towns including Runan, Zhengyang and other places, and the remaining cities will be given away for free; the other is to eliminate Runan and the remaining seven Each county will give you 400,000 yuan. Or, you can redeem each city for 150,000 yuan at will. The cities that have not been redeemed within the time limit, including Runan, will be set on fire when I withdraw my troops." After saying this, Zhao Hongrun took a look. Huang Xu repeated what the latter had just said: "This is also my king's bottom line!"
…
Huang Er's expression changed slightly when he saw this. He couldn't tell that Zhao Hongrun was a powerful counterattack against his bottom line just now.
"Okay!" Gritting his teeth, Huang Zu nodded and said: "I, Dachu, are willing to spend 900,000 to redeem 17 cities! ...The same is true for the repayment method of the 500,000 just now."
This is 1.4 million...
"Okay!" Zhao Hongrun nodded seemingly expressionlessly, but in fact he was happy in his heart. After all, the value of pearls, jade, lacquerware, and copperware worth 1.4 million would be several times higher when shipped to Wei.
But this alone cannot be regarded as a serious blow to the Chu State.
Thinking of this, Zhao Hongrun rubbed his hands and said with a smile: "Then let's talk about the Chu people in the eight counties of Suiping, Runan, Pingyu, Xiangcheng, Chenxian, Queshan, Xincai and Zhengyang. ...How much ransom do you plan to use to redeem the citizens of your country? Those people of your country can now be regarded as my captives, right?"
"What?"
Xiong Tuo was shocked and couldn't help but said: "Didn't I give you 900,000?"
"Yes, but the 900,000 yuan is only the ransom of the city, and it does not include the people of Chu in the city..." After that, he turned to look at Shen Yu beside him, shrugged and said: "Shen Yu, Zhang Ao, did this king mention the people of Chu just now?"
"No!" Shen Yu and Zhang Ao said in unison.
Seeing this, Zhao Hongrun looked at Xiong Tuo and Huang Er again, shrugged and said: "The city is a dead thing, and the people of your country are living things. How can these dead things and living things be mixed together?"
Huang Er frowned when he heard this, because he really didn't expect that Zhao Hongrun would separate the city from the Chu people in the city.
"Kill them all if you can..." Xiong Tuo said in anger.
Your words are enough... I will not kill them, but I will bring them back to Wei!
Zhao Hongrun reached out and picked up the tea cup next to him and took a sip. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian.com (.) to vote for recommendations and monthly votes. Your support is my biggest motivation. Mobile users